Fishing Picks of the Week

Jim MatthewsOctober 19, 2017

1. The yellowfin and bluefin tuna bites off the Southern California coast remain good. There’s still a chance to catch the bluefin tuna of a lifetime, and limits of yellowfin are the rule. Both tuna species are best on overnight and longer trips fishing either off San Clemente (bluefin) or south into Mexican waters for the yellowfin. For an update on this action, check for the latest reports on 976-tuna.com.

2. Castaic Lake’s bass bite — stripers, largemouth, and smallmouth — stays in the top picks this week because of the quality and volume of fish being caught. The action has been good on or near the surface when the fish are boiling, and it stays good when the fish move deeper and anglers switch to trolled lures. Stripers to eight pounds have been reported again in the past week. For an update on this bite, check with the marina staff at Castaic by calling 661-775-6232 or call Tackle Express at 661-251-8700.

3. For crappie fanatics, it looks like Silverwood Lake’s bite has broken open with some good catches off the marina docks and the rip-rap around the marina and launch ramp. The fish have been showing on Gulp! Minnows, anchovy pieces, and worms, so more traditional jigs with Crappie Nibbles should produce, too. The fish are up to a pound. For an update on this bite, check with the Silverwood marina at 760-389-2299.